Unless you’ve been living under a rock (which, given the state of the economy, may not be such a bad idea), you know that Gov. Janet Napolitano has been nominated by President-elect Barack Obama to be his secretary of homeland security.

Here’s her statement, released shortly after her nomination was officially announced. The big news here is that she does not intend to resign right away–she’s sticking around until confirmed, which means Jan Brewer’s moving plans are on hold, but just for a bit.

Dear Friend,

This morning I was proud to accept an offer from President-elect Barack Obama to become Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security.

I believe that when called upon to serve – particularly at such a critical time in the history of our country – it is our duty to step forward and say, “yes.”

This was by no means, an easy decision. Over the past six years, we have accomplished a great deal together. We moved our state in a new direction strengthening our schools with voluntary full-day kindergarten, higher teacher pay and higher standards for our students. We expanded access to children’s health insurance and saved Arizonans millions of dollars with one of the largest free prescription drug discount programs in the country. And we’re rebuilding Arizona’s economy with a focus on high-wage, high-tech jobs of the future.

On the political front, we surpassed one million registered Democrats for the first time in history. We reached another milestone by electing four more Democrats to Congress, sending a majority to Washington this January. And we’ve built a Democratic Party that’s stronger, smarter and better positioned for victory in 2010 than ever before.

Arizona is facing a challenging time, and I intend to carry forward with my most important responsibilities as the leader of this state. In the weeks ahead, I will deliver my State of the State address, and shortly thereafter, I will present to the Arizona Legislature a balanced budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2010. Upon confirmation as Secretary by the U.S. Senate, I will tender my resignation as Governor of Arizona.

My pride in this state, my love for it and my dedication to it will never change. I will continue to work for Arizona and Arizonans, but from a different place and with a different charge. Thank you for your continued friendship and support.

Yours very truly,

Janet Napolitano

Governor

This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2008.

15 replies on “Janet Napolitano’s Statement”

  1. Janit Napolitano has been the best Governor for Arizona in the 31 years I have lived in this wonderful state. She has shown interest in Southern Arizona as no other Governor has, and we take pride in the fact that Southern Arizona had a large part in getting her elected to office. She will be sadly missed, and the State will suffer without her leadership.

    W E Solinger
    Tucson Resident

  2. My question…Is Janet Napolitano going to Hold Steady on her position of ‘NO AMNESTY’ & the E-verify system we now have in place to check Illegal Immigration in AZ, or is she going to reverse herself for ‘Political Correctness & expediency’ at the National level, to satisfy her NEW Paymaster, Obama?

    To be…Or not to be? Whose line is she going to toe?…..Remember, 70% of Americans say a ‘RESOUNDING NO’ on the Amnesty issue! In the current ‘Economic Climate’, we can hardly afford an Amnesty or any other ‘Hand-Outs’!! We are in a Recession, millions of Americans are out of work & losing homes, the Auto industry is about to ‘GO UNDER’! Wall St. Banking & the Insurance industry are in a MESS! etc. etc! She has to ‘Stay the Course’ on Amnesty & E-Verify on a National level!

  4. Speaking of handouts, read the 2008 AZ Department of Racing’s audit report. It’s revolting especially since the AZ budget bleeds dry. Greyhound breeders get over $1 million in awards and it’s worse for horse breeders.

  6. The challenges for Napolitano are whether she can convert Homeland Security Agency from an artifact of post 9/11 Bush dramaturgy to something rational and effective. And, oh yes, keep the anti-migration, the anti-change foamers, out of it…(so much has been made of the fact that she is from a border state: as if that’s what the position is all about…)

    How dogs figure into this escapes Red Star, though dogs are mostly beloved around here.

  8. Red Star,
    When someone mentions the word HANDOUT, I think of greyhound racing and how that industry gets a big state hardship tax credit among other things.
    I thought Janet would’ve been a better choice for Department of Education or even Attorney General.

  9. Karyn Zoldan,

    When the time comes you’ll get Red Star’s nomination for Secretary of Dogs! Seriously, you will.

    Hang in there, kiddo, things are starting to come around!

  10. Napolitano has been the worst governor in the history iof arizona. She has demonstrated a complete disregard for arizona voters by failing to implement the propositions approved by a majority of arizona voters, she has raised taxes and refuses to baslance the state budget. She has installed spy cameras underneath most freeway underpasses, I am glad to be rid of her.

  11. Phil Price wrote: “Napolitano has been the worst governor in the history iof arizona.”

    ME LOVES ME SOME EVUN MECHUM!!!!

  12. Like I said in another post, all Brewer needs to do is repeal the MLK holiday and we’ll be back in the good ol’ Mecham days! I knew the 1980s would be back in style! Republicans in charge, Joe Arpaio re-elected, John “The fundemental of the economy are strong” McCain still in office, financial system in collapse, oh the good ol’ days! Least we still gots ur gunz!

  13. It is excellent news for those who think that former counsel to a party should not be able to veto laws attempted to limit opportunistic exploitation by that same party.

  14. Specifically I refer to numerous laws she has denied the public the benefit of despite incredible support by the representative branch, in one case despite the rather politically incorrect constituency of those fighting CPS.

    Instead of a jury trial parents may now be told they are a day late, and if they think that a baby born in December should be claimable by new years day even, told tough luck, you don’t even get help finding a lawyer.

    One wonders how many closeted single parents will now find orphans available to them thanks to that VETO, and the example on no ethics followed by litigants counsel acting just as corrupt in allowing published claims of that somehow being legal. Oh, yeah, it’s not really parents, just nonmothers who have this particular threat. Like say the teacher impregnated by her 5th grader- if he doesn’t register there sex, possibly within the same month of the birth, for example if he doesn’t know she’s scheduled an early csection and instead waits nine and a half MONTHS, he, his parents, siblings, future children, will all be strangers, even if the adoption to actual strangers doesn’t occur for a long time thereafter.

    It doesn’t end there of course. This little kid, too young to represent himself in a court of law, should he prefer to raise baby, must then file a lawsuit before the baby is even born, should the teacher tell him so baby a month before.

    Although we won’t see potential fathers in the governors seat for a while, it’s fair to assume the jury trial right will be restored since surprisingly that’s something republicans do care about and it’s not because it denies gays potential orphans.

    A real democrat of course would not have done many of the veto’s so I look forward to that, especially after the public called to serve will know much more about just how corrupt AG’s can be.

    The propiganda though has so far prevented much coverage of the bench trials, even though they are now open for public attendance not just preselected reporters.

    So please if you have a chance spend some time observing for yourself what passes for justice on Ajo. It is like the old reservation days where babies where plucked like flowers from native huts at whim. The child impregnated adult need only limit her unprotected sex to months not likely to show during the school year- and may in fact get great value consistent with that of a newborn thanks to Janet’s Veto since even if both notice and lawsuit are filed, and ‘counsel’ is ”hired”, it won’t have had a governing role model to follow in protecting the lone true parents, even if one be victim, child, male. Straight males make good fathers to, but you can’t rely upon a lawyer to know that, nor should you need to!

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